System and method in water-craft or other structure

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a system in a watercraft or a section thereof or in another structure or a section thereof for providing furnishings at least partially, which system comprises a number of prefabricated room units and a watercraft or a section thereof or another structure or a section thereof, and which system comprises one or several room units to be inserted into the watercraft or a section thereof or other structure or a section thereof, and which system comprises room units, the exterior side portion of which forms a part of the outboard of the watercraft or a section thereof or other structure or a section thereof and/or the interior side portion forms a part of the open inner section of the watercraft or a section thereof or other structure or a section thereof. Moreover, the invention relates to a method for providing furnishings at least partially in the system according to the claims, which system comprises a watercraft or a section thereof or another structure or a section thereof and at least one prefabricated room unit, according to which method at least one room unit is inserted into the watercraft or a section thereof or another structure or a section thereof and moved on the watercraft or a section thereof or other structure or a section thereof into its predetermined position.

The present relates to a system in a water-craft or a section thereof orin another structure or a section thereof in accordance with thepreamble of claim 1 for providing furnishings at least partially, whichsystem comprises a number of prefabricated room units and a water-craftor a section thereof or another structure or a section thereof.

The invention also relates to a method in accordance with the preambleof claim 9 for providing furnishings at least partially, which methodcomprises a water-craft or a section thereof or another structure or asection thereof and at least one prefabricated room unit.

It is known from prior art to have systems for arranging room units in awater-craft or another structure so that a prefabricated room unit isbrought into the water-craft or other structure, the outboards of whichare constructed prior to bringing the room unit into thewater-craft/other structure. It is also known to insert a room unit intoa water-craft or another structure, which has in advance been providedwith at least a structural outboard and generally also a window andinsulation for the outboard. Such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.6,016,636, where prefabricated cabin modules are brought onto the deckby means of a crane, approximately into their final positions.

It is also known from prior art to insert prefabricated room units intoa water-craft/another structure through specific temporarily arrangedopenings and transfer them into their final positions by means ofspecial transfer devices. Such systems are disclosed for instance in DEU.S. Pat. No. 4,024,497 and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,928. Various transfersystems and structures for cabins are disclosed e.g. in U.S. Pat. No.6,260,496.

Furthermore, it is known to insert a cabin provided with a balcony intothe ship so that the balcony wall is constructed aboard the ship priorto installing he cabin or after the installation, and that the balconyis secured to the ship's hull either before bringing the cabin into theship or after that.

Significant disadvantages are, however, associated with the prior art.For instance, the transfer of cabins aboard the ship is time-consumingand the arrangement of temporary openings takes time and leaves marks onthe final cladding of the ship. Moreover, the transfer of cabins on theship may have an impact on the arrangement of stanchions or give causefor relocation or removing of the stanchions during the constructionperiod. In all the above-discussed cases the cladding of the shiprequires several man-hours of labour and the working conditions aboardare difficult, whereby the construction time of the ship may beextended.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the disadvantages ofthe prior art and provide an entirely new kind of an arrangement.

The invention is based on the idea that one or several room units arearranged to be inserted into a water-craft or a section thereof oranother structure or a section thereof, and that the system comprisesroom units, the exterior side portion of which forms a part of theoutboard of the water-craft or a section thereof or other structure or asection thereof and/or the interior side portion forms a part of theopen inner section of the water-craft or a section thereof or otherstructure or a section thereof.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a prefabricated roomunit which comprises an exterior side portion or an interior sideportion forming a part of the structural external or internal surface,respectively, of a water-craft or a section thereof or another structureor a section thereof. By this arrangement the room unit's window, windowwall, balcony, balcony doors etc. can be constructed in workshops ashoreand transported and lifted as one unit onto the water-craft or a sectionthereof or other structure or a section thereof, whereby the workcarried out aboard the water-craft or a section thereof or otherstructure or a section thereof is diminished, the quality is improvedand it is possible to shorten the construction time.

Alternatively, one or several room units are arranged to be insertedinto a water-craft or a section thereof or another structure or asection thereof, which arrangement comprises room units, the exteriorside portion and/or the interior side portion of which is open whenbeing transferred into the water-craft or a section thereof or otherstructure or a section thereof, and the actual board section is attachedafterwards to the water-craft or a section thereof or other structure ora section thereof. The attachment, sealing and other similar operationsmay also in this case be carried out via the outboard or the open innersection of the water-craft or the like.

This purpose may according to the invention be achieved by applying amethod for providing furnishings in a water-craft or a section thereofor another structure or a section thereof comprising a water-craft or asection thereof or another structure or a section thereof and at leastone prefabricated room unit so that at least one room unit is insertedinto the water-craft or a section thereof or other structure or asection thereof and moved aboard the water-craft or a section thereof orother structure or a section thereof into a predetermined location.

More precisely, the system and method according to the invention arecharacterised in what is disclosed in the characterising parts of claims1 and 9, respectively.

According to a preferred embodiment of the system according to theinvention in a water-craft or a section thereof or in another structureor a section thereof for providing furnishings the system comprises anumber of prefabricated room units and a water-craft or a sectionthereof or another structure or a section thereof so that one or severalroom units are arranged to be inserted into the water-craft or a sectionthereof or other structure or a section thereof, and the systemcomprises room units, the exterior side portion of which forms a part ofthe outboard of the water-craft or a section thereof or other structureor a section thereof and/or the interior side portion forms a part ofthe open inner section of the water-craft or a section thereof or otherstructure or a section thereof. A room unit according to the system iscomposed of one or several cabins, rooms or similar units and theexterior side portion and/or the interior side portion consists of awindow and/or a wall and/or a balcony. The section of the water-craftmay refer e.g. to a compartment of a water-craft, whereby the system maybe applied also in case the water-craft is composed of compartments.Thus the water-craft may be furnished already at the so-calledcompartment assembly stage by utilizing the above-described method, oralternatively it may be furnished, when the water-craft comprisesseveral compartments, or is as one element irrespective of whether thewater-craft is composed of compartments or not.

According to a second preferable embodiment of the invention the boardof a water-craft's hull or a section thereof or of another structure ora section thereof is substantially open and the overlying decks aresupported by a supporting structure/structures, which is/are at theinstallation stage of the cabins located between every second room unitor spaced by a distance longer than this. The open board may in thiscontext refer even merely to the so-called skeleton structure of awater-craft or a section thereof or another structure or a sectionthereof with mere steel stanchions and steel beams. Accordingly, thesupporting structure may comprise a stanchion, a frame structure orother similar structure, and the distance between the stanchions may beeven longer than mentioned above. Then the board section of thewater-craft or a section thereof or other structure or a section thereofis installed after the room unit/units has/have been moved into thewater-craft or other structure.

In both above-described systems the width of the opening arranged in theboard of a water-craft or a section thereof or another structure or asection thereof is smaller than the total width of two or several roomunits, when the room units are being inserted into the water-craft orother structure. Then the sealing of the room unit/units is at leastpartially carried out by connecting the exterior side portion or theinterior side portion directly to another exterior side portion or aninterior side portion by means of separate cover strips, or by anothersealing method, without the side portion being sealed to the hull of thewater-craft or a section thereof or other structure or a sectionthereof. In addition, the side portion includes a floor and/or a ceilingportion to be installed separately and attached to the hull of thewater-craft or a section thereof or other structure or a sectionthereof.

According to a preferred embodiment of the method in accordance with thepresent invention is provided a method for applying the system forproviding furnishings at least partially in the system according to theclaims discussed in the foregoing, which system comprises a water-craftor a section thereof or another structure or a section thereof and atleast one prefabricated room unit so that at least one room unit isinserted into the water-craft or a section thereof or other structure ora section thereof, and moved on the water-craft or a section thereof orother structure or a section thereof into a predetermined location.After this, next room units are brought in one or several units at thetime through an opening arranged in the board of the water-craft or asection thereof or other structure or a section thereof, or through theend thereof, which room units are moved into predetermined locations andafter the room unit/units has/have reached its/their final position/-sthe exterior side portion thereof is disposed and/or attached and/orsealed to the board, and/or the interior side portion thereof isdisposed and/or attached and/or sealed to the board. If the room unit isnot, however, provided with an exterior side portion and/or an interiorside portion in advance, an alternative method is applied, according towhich a separate side portion is disposed and/or attached and/or sealedto the room unit or to the board.

In both above-discussed cases the room unit may comprise one or morecabins, rooms or the like and/or the side portion may comprise one ormore windows and/or walls and/or balconies. In addition, the room unitis in the transverse direction of the water-craft or a section thereofor other structure or a section thereof brought in through the board ofthe water-craft or a section thereof or other structure or a sectionthereof without any substantial movement in the longitudinal directionof the water-craft or a section thereof or other structure or a sectionthereof, so that said movement is preferably smaller than the width ofthe room unit.

By the present invention considerable advantages are provided. Thus theinstallation time of structures of the water-craft or the like will beshortened and simplified, whereby the overall costs of the water-craftor other structure are reduced considerably. Moreover, the systemaccording to the invention provides more of so-called large outboardrooms aboard the water-craft or other structure, which rooms are moreexpensive for the customers than normal rooms. Thus the owner of thewater-craft or other structure will also get a higher price for thepresent arrangement and the customer will stay a longer period in theroom unit, as the comfort therein has improved.

The room unit according to the invention is lifted aboard thewater-craft or a section thereof or to other structure or a sectionthereof so that inboard cabins and cabins provided with an exterior sideportion are inserted directly onto the correct deck or to the correctfloor and into the correct position through an opening, which is as wideas about two cabins, rooms or the like. Through the opening are insertedthe inboard and outboard cabins facing the opening in the longitudinaldirection of the water-craft, the first one of which cabins is insertedthrough the opening in the transverse direction of the shipapproximately into its final position, after which the cabin is moved inthe longitudinal direction of the ship behind a stanchion or a similarstructure. The second cabin is moved directly into its positionsubstantially without any movement in the longitudinal direction of theship. Thus all the cabins of the ship may be prefabricated, as the firstoutboard cabin will utilize the space located behind the stanchion.

By supporting the water-craft's deck by the outboard of the water-craftat every second cabin the cabins provided with an exterior or interiorside portion may be inserted through openings of final size, the widthof the openings being about the same as the total width of two cabins.The ship's inboard cabins may be inserted into the ship through the sameopening without arranging any specific temporary openings. The advantageachieved by this is that the transfer distance on the ship is veryshort, temporary openings or removals of stanchions are not necessaryand the construction time of the ship may be shortened. A prefabricatedcabin provided with a side portion according to the invention may bebrought aboard the ship by lifting the cabin directly through the boardalmost directly to its final position in the longitudinal direction ofthe ship. Stanchions may be installed between the cabins, if required,after the cabins have been lifted onto the ship.

The side portion according to the invention is attached to the cabinsbefore it is lifted onto the ship so that both the cabin and the sideportion are lifted simultaneously. The side portion may consist forinstance of

-   -   1. a window, whereby the cabin is provided with an end wall, to        which the ship's window facing outwards or inwards as well as        the cladding of the end wall are attached. Thus the water-craft        is provided with an opening for window surrounded by the ship        structure. The cabin is inserted in the ship in a conventional        manner.    -   2. an end wall, whereby the cabin is provided with an end wall        located on the outer surface of the ship. In this case the ship        is provided with an opening substantially of the size of the        cabin end or the two cabin ends. The cabin may be transferred to        its position in a conventional way or directly through the        opening in the outboard. The end wall may preferably extend        beyond the boards of the ship, whereby a separate, to the ship        structures attached floor or ceiling is arranged underneath        and/or above the wall, which floor or ceiling may constitute an        integral part of the cabin structure. Thus the cabin gets more        floor area and the view from the cabin is wider. Similar        advantages are achieved also by carrying the cabin in through        the open inner section, i.e. in the case of a so-called        promenade cabin.    -   3. a balcony, whereby the cabin is provided with a balcony        module installed in advance, when being brought into the        water-craft. The cabin may be provided with a balcony door and a        window or such may be installed later. The cabin may be located        in position in a conventional way or directly through an opening        in the board.

In the following the invention is described with reference to theattached drawings, in which

FIG. 1 shows how the furnishings are provided as a section view of awater-craft or another structure seen from above;

FIG. 2 shows the following stage of providing the furnishings as asection view of a water-craft or another structure seen from above;

FIG. 3 shows a section view of a water-craft or another structure seenfrom above;

FIG. 4 shows a side view of a water-craft or another structure seen fromthe side;

FIG. 5 shows how the furnishings are provided according to a secondembodiment of the invention as a section view of a water-craft oranother structure seen from above;

FIG. 6 shows a simplified view of the situation of FIG. 5 inperspective;

FIG. 7 shows an attachment and/or a sealing arrangement seen from above;

FIG. 7 a shows an enlarged view of detail VII indicated in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 8 shows a sectional view VIII-VIII indicated in FIG. 7.

The water-craft or other building comprises a ship 1 according to theembodiment in FIG. 1. The figure shows also room units 2 a, 2 b, 2 c and2 d, which in this case are preferably cabins. The cabins 2 a, 2 b, 2 c,2 d etc. are prefabricated and provided with an exterior side portion 9or an interior side portion 10. According to the figure cabin 2 a isfirst inserted through an opening 4 in board 3 a, 3 b into thewater-craft 1 as shown by arrow A, i.e. in the transverse direction ofthe water-craft. In order to make the cabin 2 a reach its predeterminedposition 8 a it is also moved as shown by arrow B in the longitudinaldirection of the water-craft 1. The cabin has also been provided with aformed part 13 in advance, into which part stanchion 14 fits. Next,cabin 2 b is inserted through the opening 4 and moved to itspredetermined position 8 b as shown by arrow A. After this, cabin 2 c ismoved to its position 8 c, first as shown by arrow A through the opening4 in the board 3 a, 3 b. An alleyway portion 5 is in this case leftbetween the cabins.

FIG. 2 shows a situation, where the cabins 2 a, 2 b and 2 c are alreadyin their final positions 8 a, 8 b and 8 c and accordingly, the formedpart 13 in cabin 2 c faces the stanchion 14 after the cabin 2 c has beenmoved in the direction of arrow B in the longitudinal direction of thewater-craft. Finally, cabin 2 d is inserted in the direction of arrow Ainto its final position 8 d, whereby the exterior side portions 9, 10form in this case the outboard of the water-craft. Similarly, they couldalso form the interior wall section aboard the water-craft, if thecabins had been moved for instance from the so-called promenade locatedin the middle of the water-craft. Alternatively, cabins 2 a and 2 bcould also form the interior wall section of the water-craft not shownin the figure, even if they were lifted aboard through the opening inthe board 3 a, 3 b. Neither need the cabins have the shapes shown in thefigure, but they could all have for instance the same shape irrespectiveof their positions in the water-craft or whether the formed part 1 3 isneeded at all, in case there is no stanchion located in the cabin'spredetermined position.

This could be better explained with reference to FIG. 3, where thereference number 1 indicates a water-craft or another structure, and thenumerals 2 a, 2 b, 2 c, and 2 d refer to the room units therein. In thisapplication the numeral 3 a represents the outboard of the water-craft 1and the numeral 3 b the interior board surrounding the open innersection 12 of the water-craft or other structure. In this case the innersection consists of a so-called footway, i.e. a promenade, of the ship.The interior board 3 b consists of cabins 2 a, 2 b etc., which in thisembodiment have been moved onto the ship through the outboard 3 a, i.e.as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Alternatively, they could have been taken ineven from the promenade's 12 side, i.e. via the interior board 3 b, andthat being the case the cabins 2 c and 2 d, for instance, have beeninserted first and finally the cabins 2 a and 2 b. It is, of course,possible that the cabins have been moved onto the ship both via theoutboard 3 a and the interior board 3 b and that there are more thanfour cabins in the transverse direction of the water-craft,advantageously for instance eight, whereby also more alleyways 5 thanthe two shown in FIG. 3 are provided. Also the ends 3 c of thewater-craft, its section or compartment, are marked in the figure,through which ends the cabins may thus alternatively be inserted intothe water-craft.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of a water-craft or another structure, wherebycabins 2 c and 2 d are visible, if the water-craft according to FIG. 3is looked from outside, and similarly, cabins 2 a and 2 b are visible,if the water-craft is looked from the side of the open interior, i.e.from the promenade. Furthermore, if looked from outside, the board 3 aand possibly the stanchions 14 are visible, and if looked from inside,the interior board 3 b is visible and possibly, due to structuralengineering conceptions, also the stanchions 14. In the interior theside portions may consist e.g. of merely a window 9 a or a wall 9 b andthe outboard sections either of a balcony 9 c or merely a window 9 a.

FIG. 5 shows an alternative furnishing concept, where the cabins 2 a, 2b, 2 c and 2 d are brought into a water-craft or another structure inaccordance with FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 5 also shows a stanchion 14, whichfits into the formed part 13 when room unit 2 c is moved as shown byarrow B, as well as a steel construction 3. The exception in thisversion is that the room units are not provided with a side portion 9,10 in advance, but the side portion is not disposed, attached and/orsealed until the room units have been moved onto the water-craft inaccordance with arrow A. The side portion may also be attached prior tothe installation of the room units, whereby the room units are broughtinto the water-craft in a conventional way.

FIG. 6 shows the situation of FIG. 5 simplified and seen obliquely frombelow at the stage, when cabin unit 2 b is moved to rest upon the steelconstruction 3 of the water-craft. The steel construction consists ofvertical and horizontal stanchions 14 and in this case also of a deckconstruction 11. In addition, the figure shows the board 3 a and theopening 4, through which the cabin units are inserted into thewatercraft.

FIG. 7 shows a sealing arrangement, according to which the room units 2a, 2 b, 2 c, 2 d etc. are sealed to the hull 3 of the water-craft orother structure by means of a profile 16 and a seal 19, of whicharrangement detail VII is extracted and shown in FIG. 7 a. Naturally,the arrangement also includes fixing means, which are not shown in thefigure. Also the side portion 9, 10 is clearly shown in the figure,which portion may also have another than a right-angled shape, forinstance a so-called oriel. In this case the side portion includes afloor and/or ceiling portion to be mounted separately and indicated bythe reference number 17.

FIG. 8 shows a section view A-A of FIG. 7. In this figure the lower beam15 of the room unit is preferably attached by welding to the deck 11 ofthe water-craft by utilizing e.g. shims. The frame 18 of the sideportions 9, 10 is sealed to the board 3 a, 3 b of the water-craft by aprofile 1 6, which is secured to the side portion by fixing means, e.g.by a screw or the like, either before inserting the room unit into thewatercraft or after that. The profile is sealed to the side portion e.g.by a rubber seal, as shown in FIG. 7, which seal is squeezed bytightening the fixing means. The profile is tightened to the board byfastenings means, e.g. by a sealing compound or by a stud reachingthrough the profile into the board. Similar fastening may be used whenthe side portion is attached e.g. to a stanchion 3, which carries theoutboard, or between two adjacent side portions so that the profile isattached by a screw to a first side portion and then by a stud to asecond side portion.

It is apparent to a person skilled in the art that the invention is notlimited to the above-described embodiments, where the invention isdescribed by way of example, but various applications of the inventionare conceivable in the scope of the inventive conception defined by theappended claims.

1-12. (canceled)
 13. A system in a watercraft for providing furnishings,in which system one or more prefabricated room units are arranged to beinserted into the watercraft, which water craft comprises one or moredeck constructions, provided with support structures, and a board,characterized in that the board of the watercraft is provided with anopening or an end, and in that the room units are arranged to beinstalled in the watercraft through the opening or the end intopredetermined positions on the deck construction so that an exteriorside portion of the room unit forms a part of the outboard of thewatercraft and/or an interior side portion of the room unit forms a partof the interior board surrounding an open inner section of thewatercraft.
 14. A system according to claim 13, characterized in thatthe room unit comprises one or more cabins, rooms or similar units. 15.A system according to claim 13, characterized in that the exterior sideportion and/or the interior side portion consists of a window, a walland/or a balcony.
 16. A system according to claim 15, characterized inthat the side portion is installed after the room unit has been movedinto the watercraft.
 17. A system according to claim 13, characterizedin that the width of the opening arranged in the board is smaller thanthe total width of two or more room units, when the room units are beingtaken into the watercraft.
 18. A system according to claim 13,characterized in that the sealing of the room unit/units is at leastpartially carried out by connecting the exterior side portion or theinterior side portion directly to another exterior side portion oranother interior side portion by means of separate cover strips oranother sealing arrangement.
 19. A system according to claim 15,characterized in that the side portion includes a floor and/or a ceilingportion to be installed separately.
 20. A method for providingfurnishings in a water craft, which watercraft comprises one or moredeck constructions, provided with supporting structures, and a board, inwhich method one or more room units are installed into the watercraft,characterized in that one or more room units are installed on the deckconstruction through an opening or and end provided in the board of thewatercraft, and in that the room units are moved into predeterminedpositions on the deck construction so that the an exterior side portionof the room unit forms a part of the outboard of the watercraft and/oran interior side portion of the room unit forms a part of the interiorboard of an open inner section of the watercraft.
 21. A method accordingto claim 20, characterized in that after the room unit has reached thepredetermined position the exterior side portion is disposed, attachedand/or sealed to the outboard and/or the interior side portion isdisposed, attached and/or sealed to the interior board.
 22. A methodaccording to claim 20, characterized in that a separate side portion isdisposed, attached and/or sealed to the room unit or to the board.
 23. Amethod according to claim 20, characterized in that the room unitcomprises one or more cabins, rooms or similar units and/or the sideportion comprises one or more windows, walls and/or balconies.
 24. Amethod according to claim 20, characterized in that the room unit ismoved aboard in the transverse direction (A) of the watercraft throughthe board of the watercraft without any substantial movement in thelongitudinal direction (B) of the watercraft, so that the movement inthe longitudinal direction (B) is preferably smaller than the width ofthe room unit.